Staying Safe with Seniors Online – Mobile Security

Mobile Cybersecurity for Seniors

The digital revolution of the last few decades may have empowered users to seize on new ways of communicating and sharing information, but it hasn’t affected everyone in the same way, and in some cases, the learning gap is huge. So-called digital natives who grew up immersed in internet culture are far removed from older generations who have struggled to keep up with the accelerated pace of progress online.

The New York Times has a great piece about the value of helping seniors to learn about new technology. Despite what many expect, seniors can be just as curious and tenacious when it comes to learning new skills. Many consider themselves lifelong learners and see the world of new technologies as an exciting challenge to embrace.

When seniors go online, it’s important to make it a special point to discuss cybersecurity as well. Internet culture may be so new to them that they forget the same precautions they would naturally take in everyday life.

While some seniors may already be extremely wary about giving out personal information through any medium, they may also be more easily confused by online scams. Withour proper context, it can be hard to distinguish between e-mails that are earnest and ones that are out to go be malicious. Phishing attempts, malware attacks or other attempts at securing private information can succeed more easily with a senior who isn’t aware of the red flags that signal someone’s bad intentions.

As seniors age, their cognitive skills may also play a part in jeopardizing their safety online. They might become more likely to share personal details, making them more susceptible to crimes like identity theft. In these cases, you might want to consider going online together.

Sharing technological skills with a senior in your life can be an amazing way to share your time and repay a debt to someone who has already taught you a lot. Make it a point to share information about cybersecurity and the different ways that hackers or criminals may try to exploit loopholes in security. It’s an essential part of entering the web community. You can also give the gift of RecordVault to ensure that your seniors are safe on their mobile devices as well!